Begin by cutting the onion, first cutting strips vertically that will go on the kebabs. Cut about 20-25 vertical strips (or more if you want more for the kebabs), then put them aside and finely dice the rest of the onion.

Warm the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When it’s warm, saute the onions until they are soft and translucent.

While the onions are sauteing, chop your meat into bite-sized pieces (unless you have pre-cut stew meat), as much in a square shape as possible.

When the onions are soft, add all the rest of the marinade ingredients except for the apricot jam. Mix together and cook a few more minutes just to release the flavors and let them meld together. Then add the jam and cover.

Heat the marinade until it starts bubbling, then turn down the heat and let it simmer, covered, for a few more minutes to let it thicken up.

When you are satisfied with the taste and thickness of the sauce, put the meat into a bag or container and cover with marinade. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, but ideally for 2-3 days.

About an hour before you are ready to grill, remove the marinating meat from the fridge and add the dried apricots and onion slices. The apricots need at least an hour or two in the marinade to plump up. If they are still hard before grilling, a few minutes in a bowl of hot water should do the trick (just don’t let them sit until they get mushy).

When you add the apricots and onion to the marinade, this would be a good time to place your kebab sticks in water if they are wooden. About an hour of absorbing water will help prevent them from burning.

When you’re close to ready to grill, assemble your kebabs by placing the meat, dried apricots and onion on the kebab sticks in whatever alternating order you prefer.

Place kebabs on a medium-high heat grill and turn frequently (about every minute or two) to prevent burning. It only take a few minutes on each side to cook through bite-sized pieces. You can check meat doneness by pressing on a piece of meat. If the liquid runs out pink, it’s rare. If it runs out clear, it’s medium. Don’t cook the kebabs so long that they get well-done or dry. They will continue cooking once you remove them from the grill, too!

Enjoy immediately and store in the fridge 3-4 days in an airtight container.